The book focuses on Leo Demidov, a disgraced officer in Russia’s secret police framed for treason by a colleague. Despite that added pressure, he gets mixed up with investigating a series of gruesome child murders. Smith followed up the tome with The Secret Speech and Agent 6, which arrived last year.

Espinosa is also attached to crime drama The Outsider, but if he does sign to make Child 44, you’ve got to figure that Lionsgate will want him to prioritise the movie, especially since the studio plans to have it shooting next year.